Gripping device



Fe'b.23 192e. 1,574,404

J. F. MOODY GRIPPING DEVICE Ffiled April 17 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet, 1

@tgl y Feb. n.23 ,1926. $574,464

GRIPPI-NG l DEVICEl Filed April 17. 1922 3 sheets-shew S Patented Feb. 2?, 1926. i i

GBHNG 13W m31 Appiicaun mea April. 1v, 1922. '.seriaino 5535874.-

Be it known that I, JOSnrn .Mooniz a citizen o1p` the United States, residinof at Ranger, in the county of Eastland and 'State ol Texas, have invented new and useful lmprovements in @ripping Devices, ofjwhich the following is a specification.

Clfhis invention relates to appliancesemployed in eonnectionfuii'th oil Well apparatus for gripping the tubing: sections, andits. object is to provide an appliance otthis hind embodying certain'novel in iproved details ol construction and'inodes oli-'operation to be described hereinafter, this. application being a continuation in part oli' myy application Serial Number 346,363 tiled l )eceinber 20, 1919.

In'order that the invention may be better. understood, reference isf had .to the. accompanying draw-ings, wl'ierein: Y

Figure 1 is a central'vertical section of the device; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing. a modified base member; Fig. 4 is an elevation o a latch; Figo a ver-tical section showing` fue base member used asatubing rin?.,vand^ Fig. G isa horizontal ,section oil-fthe line @+6 et Fig. 5, Y

Referringspecificallyto the' drawings, 10 denotes the upper end ola Well easingsupporting av casing head 11 of ordinary construction,andthe 'latter supporting` the base ot the gripping apparatus which ist-he subject matter ofthe present application torl patent.

The gripping elements. of the apparatus consist of Wedge-shaped aw. members 12 commonly termed slips` in the art. These slips are arranged in a cireularseries to sur.V round` the string of Well-tubing l'to be elevated or. lowered in the casing 10:-Y The slips12 are positioned at the top of a inember 14, having a vertical socket or opening'. 15 which is tapered downwardly so that When the slips nieve downwardly in said` opening` they are'crowded'inwardly to. Giri1 the tubing 13 or other4 Work, Whereas when they are elevated they recedeand releasethe tubing- Near the top, the opening 15, is enlarged so that the slips'ma'y recede fiar enough to clear the collar on the tubing, without theslips being elevated so far as to leave the openinc; 15, their lower. ends remaining in the opening. at the 'limit oftheir upward movement. The slips are therefore always in proper position, for coming'into gripping engagement With-the Work.

rllhe slipsi12'aresuspendedfby chains orother suitable connections.- lo :troma supportingfmember- 14T-having thetormi ot a ring so` that theY .Work-, may pass. there through. ringis positionedabove the socket member .14am-idf itfisfyieldably lsupportedx so; that it may. descend iii the direc tion of# said :memberf inl order'to lower's the slips 12 -to-gripping.positionl n"The, 'chains 16y are so positioned-"that the. slips112-have a normal tendency, when being elevated7 to swing outwardly into'theenlarged topfpor.- non (fsf-tilefapeninsfia Y f The socket member 14 has diametrically opposite outstanding'.- side years v18 which sjlidalolyY support vertically -positionedf `stems 19,v supporting .at theirv lippen ends the ring-i 17', Said ring;v` having diametrcally opposite. outstanding-ears.291e which the sternsare. secured bybolts or other suitable fastening. means. The ring. .17' isheldnormally kelevated above. the melmberi14by a helical'spring,` encircling: at4 the lower. endot'saidniemf ber and seatingon the ears 18, and bearing. at its upper. end against-thefbottoin ofthe: ring ears 2t). Theslips 12 are .located :inside the 's13ningv-21la-nd the upperr convolution of.

lhespring. iitssnugly.k around the series ofy i chains 16; upward movement ofthe ring` 17 vis vlimited by 'washers 22 mountedon the stems 19 andheld? liy cross pinsi, thesewashersbeing located vbeneath the ears. 18 tto.; engage thev sameV when` the ringis at the. desired-.limit o; its upivard movement.- providing the stems19wvith a plurality of vertically. spaced`r holes forV the pins 23, the.

position of" the stop abutments. formed by. the washer-22mayhe changed to locate the normal position` of.E ring- 1?(- closer vto the` member '14, andl :thus bring the slipsl12 nearer. their giiipping. position.

.A meansisalso-providedhfor locking the ring 17 'after it hasgonedown to allow the. slips. 12y to grip the, Work, such locking means-.beingr associated both linges-util porting stems 19..V Each stein has a keeper notch 24 for .a .spring pressed latch 2li mounted in a. "housing l26 onthe ear tl'irough which the'stein passes. The-latch has a projectingV side pin 2?'protruding` through ajslot 29 in the housing .26, so that the latch mayV be retracted andheld in inoperatiie position. The slot 2S hasv a side recess 285% 'for locking: the latch 25 `in `retracted position, this being' done by swinging thepin 27over into the recess, the' latch ot coiirsc being free to turn in the housing 26 to permit this movement of the pin. To the upper end of the stem 19 is connected a chain 29 support-ing a sleeve 30 which is loosely mounted on the stem. lVhen the stem 19 has gone down and is being locked by the latch 25, the sleeve 30 is directly above the latch, so that when the latter is retracted the sleeve slides down on the stem to seat over lhe keeper notch 24 and thus prevent the latch, when it is released, from again entering said notch. lhen the stem 19 rises, the sleeve 30 remains in front of the latch 25 until the slack is taken out of the chain 29, whereupon said chain draws the sleeve upwardly on the stem cleai of the latch, so that the latter may again advance to engage they notched side of the stem, ready to slip into the keeper notch when the stem again goes down. A latch mechanism as hereinbefore described is provided for each stem 19, and its purpose will be more fully described hereinafter.

. lllith the ring 17 is also associated a pair of oppositely positioned work-gripping members, the same being pivoted to the ears 20, and each consisting of a serrated jaw 31 having rearwardlyv extending and laterally spaced shanks 32 extending into a recess 20 in the ear 20, with a pivot pin 33, carried by said ear, extending through the shanks.

Each gripping member is supported in this` manner, one ear 2O supporting one of said members, andthe other ear supporting the other member. The gripping members are pivoted to swing in a vertical direction, and they come to gripping position when they swing forwardly and toward each other. 1t will also be noted that the gripping members in operative position are locatedy above the ring 17, and their downward swing to gripping Vposition is limited by said ring, the top of the latter having grooves 34 adapted to receive the shanks 32. Te pivot pins 33 are stationary and around the same are coiled springs 35 having a connection with the Shanks 32 for giving the gripping members a normal tendency to swing forward to gripping position. A. means is also provided for locking the gripping members in inoperative position, said means being latches 36 carried by the ears 2O and adapted lo catch over lips .37 on the back of the jaws 31 when the gripping members are swung back into the recesses 20a. To the latches 36 are connected lines 3ha to enable the same to be tripped from a distance.

To the bottom of the slips 12 are connected chains 38 which extend downwardly through the opening or socket 15, and are fastened at their lower ends to ears 39 on the bottom of the member 14. The chains also serve to maintain the circular arrangement of the series of slips. f

The casing head 11 carries a base member 40 supporting the socket member 14 and constructed to serve as a tubing-guide also.

. The-base. 40 has a vertical opening 41, and

near the top it has an internal shoulder 42 on which the member 14 seats, the diameter of the latter being such that it may enter the opening 41. Set screws 43 passing through the side of the base, and entering an encirclinggroove 44 in the exterior surface of that portion of the socket member which seats in the opening 41, securely fastening .said member to the base. The bottom of the base 40 seats in a socket 45 in the top of the casing head 11, and it is securely .held in said socket by set screws 4G carried by the casing head and entering an encircling external groove 47 in that portion of the hase which seats in the casing head socket.

At the bottom of the base 40, the opening 41 is reduced in diameter, this reduced lower portion of opening being denoted by the reference character 48. The bottom of the base is formed with a short depending cylindrical extension 49 through which the opening 48 containued. The opening 48 produces a shoulder 50 in the base, and this shoulder has an annular upstanding rib 51 surrounding the top of the opening 48. lt will be noted'that the opening 48 is not concentric with the opening 41 but is offset somewhat to one side of the center of the base, and the extension 49 is similarly arranged, which is for a purpose to be presently described. 'l`o that side of the extension 49 which is farthest from the center of the base is fastened a depending resilient shank 52 carrying at its lower end a presser shoe 53 the purpose of which will be hereinafter stated.

Fig. 1 shows the appliance set when a string of tubing 13 is to be lowered into the well. The slips 12 are in elevated position and retracted so as to allow the tubing and the collar 13a to freely pass. In the event of an accident to the hoisting apparatus causing the string to drop, a pull on the lines 36@l will operate the latches 36 to release the. grippers 31 so that they swing over into engagement with the string. This couples the string to the ring 17 and hence the latter descends 'and-the slips 12 go down into the opening 15 to grip the string and thus stop the descent thereof. The grippers 31 can also be made to operate automatically by attaching the latch-tripping lines 36"L to the governor mechanism disclosed in my Patent No. 1,422,289 granted July 11, 1922. lt might be stated that this governor mechanism embodies a rotatable shaft which is driven by means of rollers having a normal frictional engagement with the descending line of pipe. This shaft. has a driving connection with a second shaft having a governor of usual construction thereon clutch means being employed therewith for driving a line carrying shaft for winding a line #thereon uponro'tationol' "s'a'id}g0vfer-iior be- {yol'id a predetermined l S15 eed. Sino-e the? gov-- lernor ymeel-la'nism ris va par'tfof the :prior art andiinonovelty is "olaimed forsl'lehjneohanism, per se, it has not been illustrated. 'The ring llials'o goesdofwn to set sthe slips 12 in grli'pping fpsitio'n lvihii'in ithe elevator Whiehlsu'p'poilts the 'string-Teaches .said ring', whereupon "itl bears dowir on'the *ring,-an d Las Vthe `elevator Continues to deseen'df'therslips 12 go xdown Iinto the opening 15 -las before to grip ythe string. The slips 12 are maintained ingripping 'positionibyfthe latches 25, so that the elevatorfmay1noW"be'removed Vl'or attachment-to fthe -fneXt :string of vvWell tubing after the 'same 'has fbeen yCoupled sto latehesopei'ate@as -a safe-ty 'device lif the op! `1latohes 25a1fe retracted asstatedgf'theisleeves l"3() slide down in "ronttherelo topret'e'nt the saine 'rom 'again entering thefnotolifes .2/1, l 'and `when 4the `stems '-119 go f 'up a'stlie firing 4pushed up by the spring L21, "the 'chains/S29 draw the sleeves 30 'upwardly ele/ar o'ff'the latohes'f'as hereinbore lleserib'ed :so `they 'may 'again adv-anceintoflfeontaot the stems, "ready 5to 'slip finito fthe 1 note-lies 'when the .stems again y-go down. -As the Igrippers S11-are normally 'free' of thefstring Whenitis beinglrun'in or l'ow`ere'd,-"thefser *rated jaws do not soon -dullfsof'as ftova'llow thestring to slip Wlien tlrey swing into 4gripping; engagement therewith.

"lVhe'n' 'elevating `Or loweringlal string `of Well tubing #it is nistra'lly Arun IVtliron'gli Ifa tubing 'ringfWh-ich is 'set .on the"easing"liead in f the same manner the base l member 40. The wayfin Whielthe:hoisting'line is attached to the string always eauses the-latter `to l han@v to Yoneside and 'not-exactly inlthe ce'iitero'tthe ring. WithV ti-lrestringlinthis position, 'the 4slips 12 v:will Inot lset perfeetly when going f vdown to `'gripping position-,land

the `rslips on l the "sid-e fof thel string nwhich is farthest-'fromthefcenter ofthe tubing ri'n'g 'are also `apt vto oatolr on ithe'ff-,eollar Ik15%. This diiiioultyis entirely done'awayavith l rv" the oil-Center;loeation'of the"v openingA 18. The base will be turned to such afpbsition that the side of the opening 48 which'is nearest-the Centeroftle base i'aces in the slips The'slioebeinglearried-by a ref'V to allow A"the Aallient-shank 52 fis lfree vto yield" 'coll-ars i13ai to pass. l

"vVh'en l eleva-ting; a f string of tubing` 13 out 'of thefwelL'tlregrippers 31 Will`be=released 'as g4to be 4"in en gagemlentwiththe v tubin g" iand hence if the*stin'gfshouldstartfto slip downwardly the ring 17 Will go down as kbefore v`-to set thewslips 12in `grippl'lig position. 'Honey-Per, Lthe l"grip:eers 31 d'o 'not linterfere Witlrt-he free passage off the "tubing seetions j *of t ie A'opening118, 'the top portion V@ofthe vr'latter being taperedforl'tliislpnrpose- Fig-s. V 2"5 and61illustrate-r this arrange'ment A'lpaolr- 95 'ing Will'be fprovided'fto eloseupfthespaee between the ends of adjacent slips. VlThis toL one end; o'fefaoll slip :and Asecured?therefto ley-screws 56,'the headslof'the screws be- "oo'iintersu'nk, and' 'the Sbaolz of the 4strip having llngs 571wx`ihi'elr seatiinv 'recesses in' 'the 3'fejlglero'f the slips. The strips 55` Will Ibe '-tlii "'fenough lto -lill the k'spaces vbetween "the Vsli]g s,fand:las the slips litv snugly inthe` space 'between 'the tubing '13 and thewall otthe. 'i opening 148," and their `serrated surfaces bite =i`rito^`the`tiibing5 afperfeot seal is obtainedl udo f'oentroally located opening/18 -is-ormed by @a bushingi #seating yin '1 an aperture 59 in the bottom of the base member andeeoiired "by'fa 'ea'pi-serew"6() Thefbiisfhing 58'y can be removediiv'hen iWorn and `replacedbyfal new bushing. ItWill=alsofbe notedY that the xaperf 'turi'f' 59 has *al doWn-Warditaper; so that upon removal l'ofthe fb,nshing 58,*tl1e ilmember l110 ican"befus'etl as al]tubingringf-thefelipe 54. @for y the Ytubmg Vas herembefore de-V seated in the aperture.

gripping position, and means associated with the support for coupling the same to the work upon a downward movement of the latter relative to the support.

2. A gripping device comprising a member lia-ving a downwardly tapered vertical opening, a series of slips positioned to descend in said opening to assum-e a workgripping position, a vertically movable support for the slips carried by the aforesaid member, means foi' yieldably holding the support elevated to position the slips m nongripping position, and automatically operating` means associated with the support for coupling the same to the work upon a downward inovei'nent 'of the latter relative to the support.

3. A gripping device comprising a member having a downwardly tapered vertical opening, -a series of slips positioned to descend in said opening to assume a work-gripping position, a vertically movable support for the slips carried by the aforesaid member, means' for yieldably holding the support elevated to position the slips in non-gripping position, and gripper members carried by the support and yieldably engageable with the work to permit upward travel thereof, said members gripping the work to couple the same to the support upon a downward movement of thel work relative to the snpport. v

4;. A gripping device comprising a member having a downwardly tapered vertical opening, a series of slips positioned to descend in said opening to assume alworkgripping position, a vertically movable support for the slips carriedvby the aforesaid member, means for yieldably holding the support elevated to position the slips in nongripping' position, gripper members associated with the support for coupling the same to the work, means for holding the gripper members in inoperative position, said means being operable to release the grippermembers, and means for moving the gripper members to operative position when released.

5. A gripping device comprising a member having a downwardly tapered vertical opening, a series of slips positioned to descend in said openingv to assume a workgripping position, a verticallymovable sup-- port for the slips carried by the aforesaid member, means for yieldably holding the support elevated to position the slips iny nongripping position, gripper members associated with the support for coupling the same to the work, means for holding the gripper members in inoperative position, said means being operable from a distance to-release the gripper members, and means for moving the gripper members to operative position when released.

`6. A gripping device comprising a base having a worlereceiving opening located off the center thereof, a socket member carried by the base, and aseries of slips associated with the socket member for gripping the work.

7. A gripping device comprising a base having a work-receiving opening located on the center thereof, a socket member carried by the base, a series of slips associated with the socket member for gripping the Work, and means engageable with the Work for urging the saine in tlie direction of the wall of the aforesaid opening which is nearest the center ofthe base.

8. A gripping device comprising a base having a work-receiving opening located olf the center thereof, a socket member carried by the base, a series of slips associated with the socket member for gripping the work,

and yieldable means engageable with the vmember carried by the base, and a circular seriespof slips associated with the socket member for gripping the work, the opening of the base being located off the center of the socket member and the circle of slips, the work being engageable with the side of the opening` nearest the center of the base, and in which position it is centered with respect to the socket member and the slips.

11. A gripping device comprising a base having a work receiving opening, a socket member carried by the base, a circular series of slips associated with the socket member for gripping the work, 'the opening of the base being located olf the center of the socket member and the circle of slips, and means for holding the work against that side of the opening which is nearest the center of the base, in which position the work is centered with respect to the socket member and the slips.

12. A gripping'device comprising a base having anropening, a socket member carried by the base, a circular series of slips associated with the socket niembei' for gripping tlie work, and a bushing mounted in the base opening, the interior of the bushing being located off the center of the socket member and the circle of slips.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JGSEPH F. MOODY. 

